The British Olympic Association will consider ending its policy of giving lifetime bans to athletes guilty of breaching anti-doping regulations, a move which may prove controversial as London prepares to host the 2012 Olympics.

The BOA chairman, Colin Moynihan, will today announce the establishment of a commission to examine drug-testing procedure in the UK, and the question of whether convicted cheats should be allowed to compete in future Games is understood to be on the agenda.

The BOA's life ban from being selected for the Games contrasts with the rules of many governing bodies, which let athletes compete after a ban has been served. Recent bans for athletes who missed rather than failed tests have focused attention on the issue. Missed tests are punished by a life ban but many believe the offence is too trivial to justify such a severe sanction.

Moynihan's move into the anti-doping arena will again raise questions about the BOA's relationship with UK Sport, the body responsible for drug-testing and funding elite athletes. Clive Woodward's role as head of elite sport at the BOA already constitutes a potential clash with UK Sport, and this latest foray on its patch may cause further tension.

Minister's friendly feeling

Lord Moynihan, the BOA chairman, is trying to rebuild relations with the government after the departure of Richard Caborn as minister for sport. The two were barely on speaking terms after Caborn lobbied for Moynihan's opponent, the former Olympic hurdler David Hemery, in the election to succeed Craig Reedie. Moynihan met the new sports minister, Gerry Sutcliffe, last week and the pair have arranged to hold similar talks every two months from now on.

Hearts attack puny pay

Leading golfers departing Edinburgh airport yesterday after the Open ended were largely ignored because of the arrival of the Barcelona squad, in Scotland for a five-day pre-season tour in which they will play Dundee United and Hearts. The competition has been organised by the former Scotland rugby union international Scott Hastings, whose management company, Platinum One, is paying the Catalan side a large appearance fee. The Hearts match will be played in front of at least 40,000 at Murrayfield on Saturday, but there are grumblings in Edinburgh that the club will not be getting the lavish payday they expected.

A winner in waiting

One of the cardinal rules of closing out a major championship is not to get ahead of yourself and, although Sergio García did his best to focus on the next shot as his Open challenge faltered, his management team were already in the out-of-bounds. Even before the Spaniard teed off on Sunday, plans were afoot for a press day at his home club in Spain to celebrate victory. Padraig Harrington's advisers at IMG waited until their man had his hands on the Claret Jug before arranging yesterday's press call.

A drive too far

The new culture secretary, James Purnell, among the weekend visitors to Carnoustie, is an enthusiastic but modestly talented golfer and his limitations were exposed during a round on the toughest course on the Open rota. Playing with Tim Allen, Tony Blair's former adviser, and two Carnoustie members, one of them a secretary at one of the affiliated clubs, Purnell managed to find the middle of the 1st fairway with his drive but his second shot was not so successful. Confused by the layout, he took aim at a distant marker post and planted a three-wood on to the 15th fairway.